


Trust

by PlanetClare



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Bucky Barnes - Fandom, Captain America (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Winter Soldier (Comics), winterwidow - Fandom
Genre: Anticipation, Anxiety, Black Widow - Freeform, Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Conflict, Drama, Emotions, F/M, Healing, Injury, Love, Melancholy, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha, Recovery, Tenderness, Trust, Trust Issues, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, natasha romanov - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 13:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10742856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: After Bucky Barnes sustains a serious injury while on a mission, he faces a dilemma. Natasha Romanov takes matters into her own hands.





	Trust

When Natasha heard Bucky creep into the bedroom of her apartment on the East River, she squinted at the clock on her nightstand. It was 3:00 in the morning, and she wondered where he had been. 

The assassin silently removed his clothes, pulled on his Barnes tartan pajama bottoms, and slowly slipped into bed next to her.

Turning to her left to look at him, she noticed that he was lying on his left side facing away from her. She thought this was odd because Bucky always slept either on his back or on his right side in order to spoon with her.

Sensing that something was wrong, she rolled onto her left side to cuddle with him. As she slid her right arm around his waist, Bucky flinched and groaned softly.

“James, what’s wrong?”

When he did not respond, she reached over to turn on the light on her nightstand. When she turned back to him, she was shocked by what she saw.

“James! You’re hurt!” she gasped as she gazed at a large oblong bruise on the assassin’s right ribcage.

Turning to lie on his back, Bucky looked at her worried face.

“What happened?”

“Need-to-know basis...” he replied.

“Not this time. What happened to you?” she demanded.

“Batroc,” is all he said.

“Georges Batroc? Were you out fighting him?” she asked knowing that Bucky had faced off with the kickboxing French mercenary on more than one occasion.

“Steve got a lead on him and asked me to check it out since he’s off on a mission with Tony and Sam,” Bucky advised.

“It looks like your rib is broken!” she said afraid to touch it.

“I think it is,” he agreed.

“Isn’t that the same rib you broke the _last_ time you faced Batroc?” Natasha asked reaching for her cell phone.

“No, that was a rib on my _left_ side. I’ve never been able to get a bead on that guy – too damn much jumping around.”

As Natasha dialed a number, Bucky looked on curiously.

“Nat, who are you calling?” he asked.

“You need to have that looked at.”

Protesting, he said, “No! You know I can’t see a medic. They’ll turn me in to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“I’m not calling S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m calling a friend – a nurse who works undercover for Nicky Fury,” she replied.

Bucky painfully pulled himself up so that he was reclining on his pillow with his head and shoulders resting against the headboard.

“Hi, Sophie. It’s Natasha.”

“‘Tasha? It’s kind of early,” the nurse said as she yawned and looked at her clock.

“Yeah, I know, but I need your help. A friend of mine’s been hurt and needs medical attention. Is there any way you could come to my place?”

“Right now?” Sophie asked.

“Yeah...I’d owe you one,” Natasha said desperately.

“I’m on my way,” the nurse said and ended the call.

“Do you trust this girl?” Bucky asked anxiously.

Putting down her phone, Natasha replied, “Yes, I do.”

“I don’t know, Nat...” he said with a sigh.

“Just relax. I’ll get a cold compress,” she offered as she walked to the kitchen for an ice pack.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Twenty minutes later, Bucky and Natasha heard a knock.

When she opened the door, Natasha saw Sophie dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans, and a trench coat. Over her shoulder was slung a black backpack.

“Hey, ‘Tasha. What’s going on?” the tall brunette asked the spy.

“Come with me,” she advised as she led the nurse to her bedroom.

Sophie froze in the doorway as soon as she saw the assassin lying in the bed.

“Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed turning in shock to Natasha.

“I know! I know, but he needs your help!” Natasha pled.

“Do you know what the intelligence community wouldn’t give to know the whereabouts of the Winter Soldier?”

“I know, but you can’t tell anyone. I know you work undercover for Nick Fury. That’s why I called you. Will you please help him?”

The nurse stared at the assassin for a few moments.

His long brown locks obscured the left side of his face as he stared back at her with his visible, piercing right eye. There was something wild and untamed about him that made her somewhat uneasy. Nonetheless, she decided to help him for Natasha’s sake.

“Let me have a look at him,” Sophie finally said to Natasha as she removed the backpack from her shoulder and approached him.

Sitting on the bed next to the assassin, she pulled back the top sheet, removed the ice pack, and exposed his well-toned abdominals.

Bucky never took his eyes off of her as he searched her face for any hint of betrayal. Suddenly, he winced as she gently touched his ribs.

“It looks like at least one rib is broken. How did you sustain this injury?” the nurse queried.

“I got thrown off a roof,” he mumbled.

The two women gasped in unison.

“Don’t worry. A car broke my fall.”

“James, that’s not funny,” scolded Natasha.

“I’m not laughing,” Bucky advised still staring at the nurse.

Sophie asked, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?”

The assassin was still unsure if he could trust her, so he did not respond.

“James! How much does it hurt?” Natasha prodded.

Flinching as the nurse touched the wound again, he remained silent.

“Well, I can’t tell if it’s a clean break or a hairline fracture. At least the bone doesn’t seem to be jutting into his lung. If you could come to my doctor’s office for x-rays this morning, I could tell for sure,” she offered.

“No!” the assassin protested.

“But James –” Natasha began.

Interrupting her, he declared, “I can’t! They’ll turn me in to S.H.I.E.L.D. ...or worse...”

“James, you’ve got to do _something_ other than just lie there in pain,” she insisted.

Speaking confidentially to her patient, Sophie advised, “Listen, I work undercover for Nick Fury. I promise I will NOT report you! We need to know the extent of your injury, so you need to let me have it x-rayed.”

“How do I know the x-ray tech won’t rat me out?” the assassin asked with his right eye still fixed on the nurse.

Sighing, she assured him, “No one will ‘rat you out,’ Barnes. Come to my office at 7:00 before we open. I’ll have my tech meet us there and get you sorted out.”

“James?” Natasha begged.

“Okay...I’ll go,” Bucky agreed just so she would feel better about it.

Reaching into her backpack, the nurse pulled out a roll of blue kinesio tape.

“I’m going to wrap your side to give you more support when you move,” she advised.

“Thank you, Sophie!” Natasha said as the nurse carefully bandaged the assassin’s side.

Still staring at her, his expression remained the same.

Finally, when she finished the bandage, he quietly said, “Thank you.”

“I’ll see you at 7:00,” Sophie said as she rose from the bed.

Walking her friend to the door, Natasha said, “Sophie, I really owe you for this. He has to be so careful about who treats him if he gets injured.”

“I understand. I won’t betray him – promise.”

The two women hugged and Natasha opened the door.

“We’ll see you soon!”

“Make sure he stays still,” Sophie reminded her as she stepped into the hallway.

*  *  *  *  *  *

After napping for a few hours, Bucky and Natasha rose to prepare for their trip to the doctor’s office. Since he felt even sorer than he did a few hours before, she gave the assassin a French bath and helped him dress in jeans and a black t-shirt.

For a quick breakfast, she poured two glasses of orange juice which they had with toasted bagels with butter. When they finished eating, Natasha helped Bucky into his jacket, and he put on a black baseball cap. She then opened the door and helped him down the stairs to her cobalt blue 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby convertible which was parked in the garage.

The pair was silent on the drive to the doctor’s office as she worried about the extent of his injury, and he worried about being apprehended.

Natasha parked behind the office and the two sat for a few moments.

“You’re still not sure about this, are you?” she asked.

“What if it’s a trap? If I’m ambushed, I don’t know how well I can fight my way out of it with a broken rib,” he worried.

“It’s not a trap and even if you _did_   have to fight your way out, you wouldn’t have to fight alone,” she replied placing her right hand on his left thigh.

He looked at her for assurance. Then, he touched his left shoulder where it meets the back of his neck. There, he pressed a tiny button to activate the cloaking device of his cybernetic arm which quickly took on the appearance of flesh. When the transformation was complete, he tucked his hair under his baseball cap, unlocked the door, and stepped out of the car.

As Natasha followed Bucky to the office’s back door, she looked up and down the alley and unzipped her brown leather jacket. Knocking three times, she waited for a response.

After a moment, Sophie opened the door and let them in.

“This way,” she said as she led the pair to an examination room down the hall.

The office was completely quiet as Bucky and Natasha sat in two chairs in the small room.

“I’ll be right back,” Sophie advised as she closed the door behind her.

“I won’t have to wear one of those gowns with my bare ass hanging out, will I?” Bucky deadpanned.

With a sharp laugh, Natasha said, “Shut up, James!”

“If anything happens to me, do me a favor and take care of my cat.”

“James, nothing is going to happen to you. You’ve got to trust me and let me take care of you,” she insisted.

Bucky frowned and stared down at the floor.

Just then, Sophie returned to the room.

“Come with me,” she said.

Bucky and Natasha stood and began to follow her.

“No. Not you, ‘Tasha – just Barnes.”

“But –” she began.

“No one can be in the room while he’s being x-rayed,” Sophie advised.

“...Oh...of course...” the spy said looking sadly at the assassin.

Bucky gazed at her for a moment and then followed Sophie down the hall.

When they reached the x-ray room, Bucky noticed a man sitting at the controls behind the protective glass. The man’s head was down, so he had yet to see the assassin enter. Bucky pulled his cap lower over his eyes and turned his head to hide his face.

“Take off your jacket and shirt, and I’ll remove the tape from your ribs. I promise I’ll be gentle,” Sophie said with a smile.

Bucky followed her instructions and stood with the bill of his cap obscuring his face.

“Who’s that?” he whispered.

“He’s the x-ray tech,” she replied quietly as she slowly began to pull at the tape as carefully as she could. It still pained the assassin who flinched a few times.

When the tape had been completely removed, Sophie said, “Now, stand with your back against this,” as she tapped a large, square slab mounted to the wall behind him.

He backed against the wall and stood motionless.

The man approached Bucky and pulled down on a camera mounted on a hinged arm. He positioned it in front of the assassin’s bruised ribs and before joining Sophie behind the glass, he said, “Hold your arms out at shoulder height and stay perfectly still.”

Bucky did as told but kept his head lowered.

From behind the glass, the x-ray tech called, “Take a deep breath and hold it!”

As Bucky held his breath, he heard the camera buzz as it x-rayed his ribs.

After a moment, the man called, “You can breathe and lower your arms.”

He checked the image to ensure that it was good, and then he approached the assassin again. He moved the camera out of the way and then said, “Turn to your left and grab the bar above you.”

Bucky looked up and saw the bar. He grabbed it and quickly looked down again.

“Step as close to the wall as you can, and stay still,” the man said before moving the camera in front of Bucky’s ribs again.

Returning to the booth once more, he called, “Take a deep breath and hold it.”

Bucky once again held his breath as the camera buzzed.

A moment later, the tech said, “You can breathe now.”

Bucky relaxed but kept his grip on the bar above him as the camera’s position would not allow him to lower his arms.

Soon, the tech approached him and moved the camera to the side.

“You can dress now,” he said as he returned to the booth.

As Bucky managed to pull his t-shirt on, Sophie approached him and said, “I’ll take you back to the room.”

Bucky picked up his jacket and followed her into the hallway.

On their way, he asked, “What did you tell him about me?”

“I said you were a patient who couldn’t come in during regular business hours.”

The assassin gave her a crocked smile and said, “Thanks.”

“That’s a clever trick you do with your arm. I thought it was metal.”

“It is. I’ll explain it to you one day.”

As Bucky entered the examination room, Sophie advised, “I’ll have a look at the results and be back shortly.”

“How did it go?” Natasha asked as Bucky sat to her left.

“Okay, I guess,” he mumbled lowering his head.

She slipped her left hand into his right as the two sat in silence.

Five minutes later, Sophie returned to the room.

“It’s a hairline fracture. You would have been better if it were a clean break. Those actually heal faster.”

Bucky and Natasha both frowned at hearing this news.

“What do we do?” Natasha asked.

“All you can do is stay still and let it heal,” the nurse replied.

“How long will that take?” asked the spy.

“About six weeks,” Bucky replied. “That’s how long it took the last time I broke a rib.”

“He’s right, I’m afraid,” Sophie agreed removing two rolls of kinesio tape from a draw.

Bucky raised his t-shirt to let the nurse tape his ribs once again. Natasha watched carefully so she would remember how to do it later.

“So, it’s just bed rest for a few weeks?” Natasha queried.

“He doesn’t have to stay in bed, but he shouldn’t do any lifting, exercising, and most certainly no fighting.”

“I’ll see to it that he gets plenty of rest,” Natasha assured her.

“I’ll give you more painkillers if you think you need them,” the nurse offered.

“No, I’m good,” Bucky insisted.

“Good. Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Sophie said handing the two rolls of tape to Natasha.

“You’ve done plenty enough, and I’ll pay for the x-rays,” Natasha replied.

“What x-rays?” the nurse said with a crocked smile.

Appreciative, Bucky said, “You’re a gem, Sophie. Thank you.”

As the nurse opened the door, she said, “Take care of yourself, soldier.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

When they reached the car, Natasha opened the passenger side door for Bucky. Once he was seated, she pulled his seatbelt out for him, leaned over him, and locked it.

He sneaked a kiss before she stood upright.

“There’ll be none of that for a few weeks, James,” she reminded him with a grin.

“Aww, but that’s my favorite thing,” he whined.

They both laughed as she walked around the front of the car and climbed in.

As she started the engine, she looked at him and asked, “Now, aren’t you glad you listened to me and had that rib looked at?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed.

*  *  *  *  *  *

The next morning, Bucky and Natasha sat across from each other at the dining table. Wearing a lavender camisole and matching pajama shorts, Natasha sipped a cup of coffee and picked at a bowl of mixed fruit.

Bucky was shirtless donning only a pair of Barnes tartan pajama bottoms as he devoured two scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat toast, and a cup of black coffee.

Natasha removed a piece of toast from his plate, took a bite of it, and returned it to the plate.

Just then, her cell phone rang. Sighing, she rolled her eyes.

“What’s up?” the assassin asked looking up from his breakfast.

“It’s Tony,” she advised.

“Answer it,” he urged and sat watching her as if he forgot about his food.

“Yes, Tony?...I told you, I’m going to take some time off...it’s personal...no, you _don’t_ need to know why...can’t you have the briefing without me?”

“It’s okay, Nat. I’ll be fine,” Bucky whispered.

She looked at him for a long moment as she gave it some thought.

Bucky nodded to reassure her.

“Fine,” she reluctantly agreed. I’m on my way.”

“Seriously, Nat, I’m a big boy. I’ll be okay if you go work.”

“I wanted to be here for you.”

“Go. The Avengers need you,” he urged although he secretly did not want her to leave.

Sighing heavily, she replied, “All right. If you think you’ll be okay...”

“I will,” he assured the spy.

“I better get ready then,” she said as she picked up her bowl of fruit and placed it in the refrigerator.

Returning to the table, she kissed Bucky on the top of his head and said, “I’m going to shower real fast and get over there.”

He nodded but said nothing as he tried to hide his sadness that she was leaving. Pushing his plate away from him, he was suddenly no longer hungry.

Ten minutes later, Natasha was dressed and ready to go. She entered the living room and found Bucky sitting on the sofa with his cat Sébastien in his lap. He stroked the black feline as he spoke to him.

“Your mom’s got to go to work now, pal. So, it’s just you and me.”

She walked over and kissed Bucky on the top of his head again.

“I’m sure it won’t take long. Remember what Sophie told you: no lifting anything and no exercising. Go back to bed if you want.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

She zipped her leather jacket as she walked to the door.

“You boys be good,” the spy called over her shoulder and then closed the door behind her.

Bucky sat for a moment looking down at Sébastien. He then picked up the TV remote from the coffee table.

“Let’s see if we can find a car show or something, huh, pal?” he said as he began to flip through the channels.

To his luck, he found a weekly auto show.

“Hey, look at _that_ car! It’s sweet, huh? You’d catch all the babes with _that_ one, wouldn’t you?” he eagerly asked the cat.

Sébastien mewed as if in agreement.

Bucky relaxed and put his feet on the coffee table knowing full well that Natasha did not like it when he did so, but when she was not at home, he could not help himself.

The assassin always paid close attention to the auto shows but was all the more interested when the host discussed Ford cars as he prided himself on keeping Natasha’s classic Shelby Mustang in top running condition.

Without looking at his cat, he mumbled, “I wish he’d talk about motorcycles one week.”

Forty-five minutes later, the show came to an end and as Bucky began to flip channels again, he heard a knock at the door. Startled, he gazed in the direction of the knock.

“You expecting someone?” the assassin asked his cat. They both sat still until they heard another knock.

Placing the cat on the carpet, Bucky stood and silently walked to the door. He cautiously looked through the peep hole and on the other side of the door, he saw Sophie.

Opening the door, he greeted her.

“Hi, Sophie.”

“Hi...Is ‘Tasha here?” she asked anxiously.

“No, she’s –”

“Well, I need to ask a favor of you,” the nurse interrupted as she stepped into the apartment followed by a child. The little girl was dressed in a white short-sleeved top, pink leggings, and matching pink Crocs clogs. Her long, brown pigtails hung down her back.

“But...” the bewildered assassin said as the nurse led the girl into the living room.

“I wouldn’t ask this, but it’s an emergency...” the nurse advised.

“But...” Bucky repeated.

“I need you to sit Viv for a while until I get back. It won’t take too long, I hope,” Sophie promised.

“But...”

“She’s had her breakfast, and she has things in her backpack to keep her occupied.”

“But...”

“If she gets bored, she’ll be okay just watching TV – nothing scary, though.”

“But...”

“Thanks, Barnes! I owe you one,” Sophie said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“But...,” he replied looking from Sophie to the girl and back again.

“You be good for Barnes, kiddo! I’ll be back soon,” Sophie said as she kissed the child and then stepped into the hallway.

“‘Bucky’...it’s ‘Bucky,’” he corrected her.

“Thanks!” the nurse said as she strode down the hall.

Closing the door, Bucky looked down at the child who stood staring up at him.

“You have a boo-boo,” she said pointing to the kinesio tape on his right ribcage.

“Oh! I should put some clothes on. Just...just have a seat and I’ll be right back,” he said before dashing into the bedroom to put on a t-shirt and sweat pants.

As he finished dressing, he heard the child talking and panicked.

“Oh, you have a kitty!” she cooed.

“NO! Don’t touch him!” Bucky exclaimed remembering that when they first met, Sébastien tried to smother him in his sleep. He feared that the cat might lash out and scratch the child as he had the assassin.

When he frantically approached the two, he saw that Viv was cradling the cat in her left arm while gently rubbing his stomach with her right hand.

“What’s his name?” she asked.

“Sébastien,” Bucky replied.

He had never seen the cat be so friendly with a stranger. Even after being around Natasha for a few weeks, Sébastien still hissed at her occasionally.

“Wow, he really likes you.”

“He’s so cute!” the child remarked not looking up at the assassin.

“Well, let’s get you settled,” Bucky said after a moment. Picking up the child’s backpack from the floor, he placed it on the coffee table.

“What’s your name again?” she asked as she placed Sébastien on the floor.

“I’m Bucky, and you’re...” he queried as he momentarily forgot her name.

“I’m Viv, and I’m 5 years old,” she replied proudly.

“Viv? That’s a pretty name.”

“How’d you get your boo-boo?” the inquisitive child asked.

“I fell off a...I tripped,” he simply said.  

“My mom always says, ‘You need to be more careful,’” she proclaimed.

“Yes, I guess I should.”

“Do you want some tea?” she asked.

“Actually, I just had coffee,” he said not understanding what she meant.”

Ignoring his reply, she unzipped her backpack and pulled out a box. She removed its lid and began to place its contents on the coffee table. Arranging little pink plastic tea cups on saucers, she made a place setting for herself and the assassin.

As Bucky watched her, he thought, ‘It must have been a life or death situation for Sophie to trust me with her child.’

Gazing down at the girl, he was moved by how much she reminded him of his younger sister, Rebecca at that age.

When Viv had her tea set laid out, she beckoned, “Come on, Bucky! Let’s have tea!”

Smiling, he sat on the floor next to the child and pretended to enjoy a delicious cup with her. He listened to her chat as if they were old friends while Sébastien watched them from his perch on his cat tree.

Two hours passed and when Natasha returned home, she was surprised by what she saw.

Bucky peered up at her from where he sat on the floor. His long, brown locks were bound by yellow ribbons which formed pigtails above his ears. The fingernails of his right hand and all of his toenails were painted pink, and even his lips bore a hint of pink gloss as well.

“What’s going on? Viv, what are you doing here?” Natasha asked in surprise.

“Hi, ‘Tasha! My mom had a ‘mergency,’” she said confidentially.

“Oh, I see.”

“This is Bucky. Isn’t he preeeety?” the child cooed.

“Yes, I know ‘Bucky’ very well, and he _does_ look pretty,” she agreed.

Viv giggled and rolled on the carpet with glee.

‘Help me!’ the assassin mouthed to the spy.

Smiling, Natasha asked, “Have you pretty ladies had lunch yet?”

Bucky gave her a disapproving glare.

“Me and Bucky had milk and cookies,” Viv replied.

“That’s not very nutritious. We have some leftover roasted chicken. Would you like a sandwich?” she asked the girl.

“Yes, please!” Viv chirped with joy.

“Go wash your hands, and we’ll all sit down and eat.”

As the child skipped toward the bathroom, Bucky rose and joined Natasha in the kitchen.

“I’m glad you think this is funny!” he sniped.

Laughing, she replied, “You do look kind of cute with pigtails.”

“Ha ha! Very amusing,” he sneered and reached his right hand up and tugged at one of the ribbons.

“No! You’ll hurt her feelings if you take them out now,” she advised.

Leaving the ribbon alone, he sighed knowing she was right.

“Honestly, why would Sophie trust me with her kid? She would have been better off having Gamora as a babysitter!”

Realizing where the conversation was going, Natasha tried to stop him.

“James?”

“I mean, come on! Even Gamora’s probably got better parenting instincts than I’ve got...”

“James?”

“...as hard headed as she is...”

“James?”

“...she won’t listen to anyone – least of all to me...”

“James?”

“...she always wants to be the leader...”

“James?”

“...I’ve got the military background. What’s _she_ got?”

“James?”

“Yeah, I know she’s the most lethal _female_ assassin in the galaxy, but –”

“JAMES!”

“What?”

“We’re not going to talk about Gamora. You know how much she upsets you,” Natasha insisted.

“Damn right she does,” he agreed.

“Now go check on Viv while I plate the sandwiches.”

“Okay,” he said as he turned and left the kitchen.

Natasha shook her head from side to side as she sliced one of the sandwiches. The sight of the most lethal man on the planet wearing pigtails and nail polish was hilarious to her. She wished that she could take a photo of him and send it to Steve, but Bucky would never allow it.

A few moments later, Bucky and Viv returned and sat at the table. Natasha poured the child a glass of milk and sat next to her.

“So, what did you pretty ladies do today?” Natasha smirked.

Bucky glared at her again to let her know that he was not pleased.

“Me and Bucky had a tea party, and then I combed his hair and polished his nails,” the child declared joyfully between bites of her sandwich.

“That sounds like fun,” the spy replied smiling and winking at the assassin.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Please be Sophie,” Bucky mumbled under his breath.

As Natasha rose and walked to the door, Bucky looked on hopefully.

“Sophie!” she said.

“Hi, ‘Tasha. I’m so sorry for leaving Viv here, but I needed to take my mom to the emergency room, and I didn’t have anyone else to leave her with today,” the nurse confessed as she entered the living room.

“Is your mother okay?” asked the concerned spy.

“Yes, she ate something that she’s allergic to and broke out in hives. She’s much better now, thanks. Where’s Viv?”

“We were just having lunch,” Natasha replied as the two approached the dining table.

Bursting into laughter, Sophie exclaimed, “Barnes? Is that you?”

When the assassin frowned at her, she felt guilty for teasing him. She noticed that for the first time, she could see his entire face thanks to his hair being bound in ribbons. She was amazed at what a boyish face he had and how kind his large blue eyes looked despite his annoyance.

‘What a nice face for such a deadly man,’ she thought.

“I’m sorry,” offered Sophie. “Come on, Viv. Get your things.”

“Why? Are we leaving?” the child asked.

“Yes, sweetie.”

“Okay,” Viv replied sadly.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay a bit longer?” wondered Natasha.

“No, we’ve imposed enough. I really appreciate this, ‘Tasha...you too, Barnes.”

As the two women talked, Bucky helped Viv gather the tea set and a few small dolls and return them to her backpack.

“Thanks for the tea,” he said with a shy smile.

“You’re welcome, Bucky! Maybe we can have tea again sometime.”

“I’d like that,” he said as he helped her slip her arms through the straps of her backpack.

Viv walked over to Sophie, wrapped her arms around her right leg, and rested her head against her mother.

“Did you thank Bucky for entertaining you today?” Sophie asked.

Speaking for the child, he replied, “Yeah, she did.”

“Good. Well, thanks again – both of you. I’ll be in touch with ‘Tasha to see how you’re healing.”

Bucky smiled at her and put his hand on Viv’s head.

Opening the door, Natasha hugged Sophie and then knelt to hug Viv as well.

“I’ll see you again soon, Viv. Take care of your mom,” she advised her.

“I will,” the child promised and then ran back to hug Bucky’s leg.

“Bye, Bucky! You be good. You too, Sébastien,” she bade.

Laughing, the assassin agreed, “We will.”

The child joined her mother in the hallway and waved good-bye.

With their guests gone, Bucky quickly yanked the ribbons from his hair, shook his hair out, and wiped the pink lip gloss from him mouth with the back of his right hand.

“It wasn’t all _that_   bad, was it?” Natasha asked.

Ignoring her question, he stared at the pink polish on his right-hand nails.

“How do you get this stuff off?” he queried anxiously.

“I’ll get the polish remover,” she offered with a smirk.

After retrieving the bottle and a few cotton balls from the medicine cabinet, Natasha sat at one end of the sofa. Bucky sat at the other end, swung his legs over, and rested his feet in her lap.

As she briskly rubbed the damp cotton across his toenails, Natasha smiled and remarked, “You know, you really do have sexy feet.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” the assassin replied.

“I thought you liked kids,” she said.

“I do.”

“Well, you looked a bit anxious there.”

“I just don’t like ribbons in my hair...and this stuff,” he sneered holding up his right hand.

“Viv seems to like you,” suggested the spy.

“I like her, too. She reminds me of...” he trailed off suddenly looking melancholy.

“Your sister, Rebecca?” she asked.

Bucky nodded slowly.

“Have you been to see her lately?”

“No.”

“Why not? Did the Alzheimer’s hospital ask you not to return?” she queried.

“No, I was worried that I might run into a grandniece or nephew that’s older than me. Besides, Becca only recognizes me for 5 minutes before she forgets me again. It’s kind of pointless in a way.”

“Don’t say that. Even if she only remembers you for a few minutes, she still loves you, James.”

After a pause, he remarked quietly, “I wish I’d played tea party with Becca...”

Natasha studied his face as sadness gripped him.

Changing the subject to brighten his mood, she looked at his cloaked left hand and asked, “No polish on your left hand?”

“Nope. I dug in my heels,” he chirped.

“Why?”

“I didn’t know how the cloaking agent would react to the polish. Besides, they’re not real, anyway – they just _look_ like nails.”

Natasha took his left hand in her right one and kissed it.

Although he could not feel it, he knew her kiss was tender.

“Sophie really appreciated what you did today. She must really trust you because Viv is her heart and soul.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with trust; she was desperate and figured one of us would be here.”

“Whatever her reason was, she wouldn’t have left Viv here if she had any doubts about you.”

After a moment of thought, Bucky replied, “That’s nice to know.”

“Okay – all done!” Natasha advised as she finished removing the last of the polish from his feet.

The assassin wiggled his toes as he inspected them.

When she finished removing the polish from his right hand, Bucky smiled with relief.

“Come on! Let’s go,” he suggested.

“Go? Where?” she asked curiously.

“I’ve got ‘cabin fever.’ I’m gonna let you buy me a coffee.”

Laughing, she replied, “Then you better put some shoes on, ‘Twinkle Toes!’”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky agreed as he rose from the sofa and strode toward her bedroom.

As he sat on her bed putting on his socks and shoes, she stood at the bathroom sink and washed residue of the polish remover from her hands. Seeing him with Viv made her wish that she could give him children though she knew she could not. He had assured her that it did not matter, but her desire remained.

“You ready?” Bucky asked poking his head around the doorway.

“Yeah,” she replied shaking the thought of children from her mind.

Walking to the kitchen, Bucky put water and cat food in their respective bowls for Sébastien.

“Okay, pal. Don’t throw any wild parties while your mom and I are gone.”

The cat gave him a bored stare.

Grabbing their jackets, the assassin and the spy walked into the hallway. As they left the building and stepped onto the sidewalk, Bucky turned to Natasha and smiled.

“What?” she asked returning the smile.

“I _do_ have nice feet, don’t I?” he remarked with pride.

“Oh, James!” she laughed and smacked him on the ass as the two strolled down the street toward the coffee shop.

**Author's Note:**

> © 2017 Planet Press
> 
> The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights. The characters of Sophie, Viv, and Sébastien the Cat were created by this author.


End file.
